


Outside the Walls

by DottiFox



Category: Original Work
Genre: Because i am never updating this, Don't expect any updates, Dystopia, Gen, I started writing this a really long time ago, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 21:20:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4761428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DottiFox/pseuds/DottiFox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story I started writing a long time ago that I never really plan on finishing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Outside the Walls

"Ronnie, hurry up! You're too slow, you're gonna get caught!" I shouted.

"Easy for you to say," Ronnie yelled back in between gasps for breath, "You're not the one carrying the meat!" I rolled my eyes, meat couldn't be that heavy.

"Get back here, you stinking thieves!" roared the butcher, with a large meat cleaver in one hand. His braided tassels flailed about as he ran, it would have been funny if he wasn’t chasing us. And he appeared to be gaining on us. "Damn thieving lizards, I'll chop your tails right off, I will!"

What he said made us run even faster. My deep breathing brought the strong scents of many kinds of foods into my nostrils. I could smell spices, fruits, luxury desserts and cheeses. I could even smell homemade goatsmilk soap. The market flew past me in a colourful blur. The colours disappeared suddenly as we took an abrupt turn into an alleyway. The flowers that had lined the streets were replaced by scurrying rats, and the horrid stench of feces flooded my lungs, making me gag. This was the best bet for losing our pursuer.

Luckily, Ronnie and I knew the city like the back of our hands. We weaved into alleys, snaking our way through the maze that is the outer market district. We ran silently, aside from Ronnie’s heavy breathing and the sound of our claws clicking on the brick road.

"I think... we lost him..." Ronnie wheezed. I looked around. We were near the canal, I could smell the stench of sewage. I could also hear a commotion a ways behind us. The butcher was getting closer.

"I don't think so," I hissed back. There was a wall of buildings between us and the canal. We had to get across the canal to get home. There was only one way we could go. Ronnie beat his tail against the ground in frustration.

I leaped onto the side of the building, and quickly scurried up to the roof. I looked down to see Ronnie slowly making his way up the side of the building, struggling to carry the bulging bag of meat with his teeth. I could also see the butcher making his way towards us. I turned around, the bridge across the canal was within sight.

"Ronnie, he's getting closer!" I yelled, panicking. Ronnie grunted in surprise, and tried to climb faster, almost losing his footing.

I sighed and climbed down to Ronnie, grabbing the bag in my mouth. Ronnie let go, and raced up to the roof, not quite as slow as before. With the added weight, I was still able to get to the roof at the same time as Ronnie.

The butcher roared, saliva flying from his mouth. The sound reverberated through the alley, making our very bones vibrate. I could see his huge nasty canine teeth all the way from the top of the building. He hurled his cleaver at us, sending us scurrying down the other side of the building in fear and surprise.

Getting down to the other side, we left  the butcher yelling profanities that we could hear from the other side of the canal. We laughed as we ran the rest of the way towards the slums, adrenaline still rushing through our veins. We still had our tails, and everyone would be so happy to see the large amount of food we had been able to get!

 

~

 

“You WHAT!?” Sandria screeched. “How did you get caught!?? The butcher is the thickest damn cat I’ve ever seen, yet you two still managed to get caught!”

"He wouldn't have noticed us if Ronnie hadn't decided to have a snack instead of helping out." I snapped.

"It's not my fault, I was really hungry!" Ronnie whimpered.

Sandria snarled in frustration, her bared teeth glistening in the warm light of the fire. I winced at the sight of her fangs. The warm-bodied races frightened me. Their fur looked so soft, and their skin is so warm. But they had eyes of fire, and when they open their mouths to show their teeth, I can’t help but shudder.

I looked away, towards the sky. There were so many stars visible that night, as if the sky was having it’s own Festival of Lights. I wondered, what is it like to be a star? I bet stars didn’t have to steal from each other. I hated having to steal food from others just to survive. That butcher probably needed the money from that meat that we had stolen. I wanted something more than what this crummy city had to offer, but the walls kept everyone locked in. Not even the nobles could leave. But then again, why would they want to? They already had everything.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a shadowy figure dash through the darkness. I stood up suddenly and turned around. Nobody noticed me leaving, although that wasn't much of a surprise, nobody ever seemed to remember I was there in the first place.

My eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness scanning the area. It looked like the slums as usual. Shanty houses all around, and quiet dirt roads. The only movement I could see was the occasional rat.

I ventured further into the night, flicking my tongue in hopes of catching a scent. Makao. The air had the slightest hint of a cat. What was a makao doing in the slums? With a couple more flicks of the tongue, I pinpointed the source of the scent, and silently made my way towards it. Eventually, a crouching figure caught my eye.

They were clothed in a burlap cloak, shivering in the darkness. I approached silently and cautiously. The makao noticed me and looked up, startled. I saw fear in his intense blue eyes. I stood still, not wanting to scare him. A cornered makao was something to be feared.

"Wh- who are you?" he stuttered. He had a very gentle voice, and didn't seem to be a threat. "Are you going to mug me? Are you going to try to kill me? Bring it on, I can take you!" I could tell from the tone of his voice that he knew he couldn't if he had to. His tail flicked anxiously from side to side.

"Hey, calm down! I followed you because you were sneaking  about, and usually folks who sneak about are up to no good." It was also quite unusual for a makao to be seen in or near the slums, but I didn't mention that.

I inched closer to him, I still couldn't make out his face, the shadow cast by his cloak's hood hid most of his features. I squinted my eyes, straining to make out his features.

"Stay back!" he warned. He tossed up his arms and shielded himself. Just then, I caught the sight of something glittering on the makao's wrist. Gold. My eyes widened at the thought. No doubt about it, this cat was a noble! But what was a noble doing in the slums??

He quickly pulled his cloak sleeve over his wrist. He must have noticed the look on my face. I saw a panicked look on his face. He glanced around desperately for an escape, and finding none, he fell to his knees.

"Please don't steal it!" he cried, "I was given this bracelet by my mother, it is the only item I kept from my life as a noble. Take my money instead!" He pulled a heaping bag of gold out from under his coat. I heard a crack in his voice. I knew then that his mother must be deceased. Even the rich can't have eternal life.

"I'm not going to mug you!" I hissed assertively. "I'm not some common thug like you seem to think!"

“Wait… you’re not?” He looked at me, his eyes wide in awe. He had probably never been to the slums before, but why was he here now?

“No, of course not! I could use money for food, but I honestly hate stealing. What are you doing outside of the upper district, anyway? Nobles never leave, except during festivals.”

“I… I ran away.” He looked away. “Being a noble is like being a prisoner. I was forced to stay within my family’s mansion, only able to go outside with two bodyguards at me side. They expected me to act a certain way, talk a certain way. And worse of all, they expected me to marry Delilah.”

“Wait, you were going to marry princess Delilah?!” I was shaken. “Why would you pass up the opportunity to be a part of the royal family?”

"Delilah is a cold woman. I have no feelings for her, and she has no feelings for me. There's also something about her. Something dark. Something... evil."

He sounded scared. Princess Delilah was someone to be feared. There was a moment of dead silence between us.

"Oh, I never got your name! I assume you have one."

"Of course I have a name!" I shot back sharply. Although he was a runaway, he still had the pious mindset of a noble. "My name is Sen, who are you?"

The Makao pulled down the hood, further concealing his face. "Well, my name is Vhao. I would prefer if you called me V, though." He looked around cautiously, as if he suspected being followed. "Its not safe here. Too much open air, nowhere to escape. Might you possibly know of somewhere safe I could spend the night? It is quite late, and the air has a chill to it that I do not like." He shivered, perhaps not even from the cold.

"Of course, I know of a place." I said. "Follow me."

I weaved my way through the maze of shanty houses. It was quite dark and hard to see very well, but I had lived in the slums for as long as I could remember, and I knew them like the back of my hand. The number of shanties thinned as we got closer. The cry of a fox broke through the silence of the night. I felt a change in the atmosphere, and I knew we must almost be there.

Finally we came upon it; the wilderness within the walls. It was even darker than the night, if that was at all possible. A thick growth of ferns covered the forest floor, while the canopy completely concealed the starry sky. Though it wasn't quite too dark to see. I could still make out every leaf, every branch.

"We shouldn't go in here," V stuttered nervously. "Even from within the walls of the upper district, I could hear the howls of the beasts in these woods. My mother used to tell me stories about them. Terrible creatures with eyes like the devil's and teeth like a Lupou's. She said they wander the woods with a craving for blood, slaughtering anything that crosses their path!"

"Wolves?" I held back laughter. "They won't hurt you. They don't care much for people. They would much rather steer clear of us. They're just as scared of us as you are of them. They have plenty of food this time of year anyway."

As if in response, an eerie howl rang through the woods, joined by two more. I headed off into the woods anyway, leaving V behind.

"Wait!" he hollered, "I don't know if this is a good idea. It's awful dark in there and I-"

"It will be fine!" I interrupted firmly. "I can actually see pretty well in the dark. If I see any wolves, I’ll let you know. Does that sound alright?”

V nodded nervously, cautiously treading behind me. We quietly made our way through the woods. I was more at home in the wilderness than anywhere else within the walls, whereas V jumped at the slightest rustling in the undergrowth. I could catch the scents easily. Often just mice, probably looking for food or scared by us.

Suddenly, we were there. The surrounding area was covered in mossy rocks, with the occasional small plant poking up from the cracks in the rock. I swept aside some old growth, revealing the gaping maw of an opening to a cave. This was it. Home.

I made my way into the dark cavern, V following close behind. It was my home, my sanctuary. I knew every inch of the place, even in the dark. I rummaged through my things, retrieving a small box of matches and a torch. I promptly lit the torch, then used it to light the sconces on the cave wall, illuminating the cave with the warm flickering glow of the flames.

"A cave?" Vhao murmured to himself, "This could work..."

"Work? Work as what?" I asked, curious as to what he was thinking.

"Oh, as a place to hide from the royal guard. They are undoubtedly looking everywhere for me. This cave would be the perfect place to hide."

He had a point. The royal guard consisted heavily of Aviaddi. They often patrolled the skies, keeping an eye on anyone who dared oppose the king. But why would the royal guard be looking for him? Surely the princess could find another suitor. I would never be able to understand the logic of the upper class. Or the Aviaddi. They could almost certainly leave the city if they wanted to. They could just fly away and never come back. What was keeping them here?

"Well, I guess you can feel free to make yourself at home." I invited.

Vhao nodded courteously and came in, awkwardly shoving the brush aside to get in. He hung his cloak up on a piece of rock jutting out from the side of the cave.

I could finally make out his face now that he had removed his cloak. I had never seen a Makao so close up. His fur was almost all white, except for his tail and the top of his head. He was also very well groomed for the most part, but I noticed his feet were very dirty. I heard him gasp and choke.

"Oh stars, what is that horrible stench?" He complained, nose wrinkled. "I can hardly breathe!"

"Oh, it's just bat guano," I replied, "You'll get used to it."

“I think not- wait, this place has **bats?** ” He was obviously breathing through his mouth. “I don’t much like bats… but I suppose it cannot be helped. I need a safe place to think.” He sighed.

"I can guarantee that you will get used to the smell." I assured him. “They live deeper in the cavern, I don’t go in there often since the terrain is so rugged. Though I believe there is another entrance to the cave, seeing as there’s a draft coming from deeper inside.”

“Do you know where it lets out?” Vhao asked intently.

“I… I actually don’t know.” I had never thought about it before. What if it let out outside the wall? I might be able to escape, and I could have been living in the mouth of the escape the entire time! Come to think about it, the bats had to leave the cave at some point, and I had never seen them exit through my entrance. Just maybe...

I shook the thought out of my head. Now was not the time for that. I had a guest, and I doubted he was interested in leaving the city. I could surely put it off to another day.


End file.
